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Aguapanela
Hot Colombian panela drink with lime, served with cheese
Aguapanela is simply panela (unrefined cane sugar) dissolved in water, yet it is one of Colombia's most loved drinks: drunk hot at breakfast in Bogotá and the Andes with a slice of fresh cheese dropped in to melt, given to children with a cold, and served iced with lime in the hot lowlands. This page is the hot version; the cold, lime-heavy cousin is Venezuela's papelón con limón. Chef's tip: simmer the panela gently until it dissolves completely and the drink smells of caramel; rushing it leaves sugary lumps at the bottom.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 4 ¼ cups water, 5 ½ oz panela or dark muscovado sugar and 1 cinnamon stick and 3 cloves if using in a saucepan over a medium heat.
1 minStep 2: Simmer gently, stirring now and then, until the panela has completely dissolved and the drink is a clear golden brown and smells of caramel, 8–10 minutes. Don't boil hard or it turns syrupy.
9 minStep 3: Take off the heat, remove the spices and stir in 2 tbsp lime juice. A common mistake is adding the lime while boiling, which turns it bitter.
Step 4: Pour into mugs and drink hot. In Bogotá many people drop a slice of fresh white cheese into the mug to soften and eat it with a spoon (the drink is then vegetarian rather than vegan).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aguapanela take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of panela or dark muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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